How to choose a breast pump?

When you need a breast pump:

The need for a breast pump arises even with perfect lactation.

• mother and child are in different departments
  Despite the fact that modern obstetrics practices exclusively the joint stay of mother and child, there are situations when the baby and mother are in different departments of the maternity hospital, for example, the child is in the department for premature babies or in intensive care, and then feeding naturally comes down to the need to feed the expressed milk through a bottle (pipette, tube);
• attachment problems
  It is difficult for a young and yet inexperienced mother to immediately master the practice of properly applying the baby to the breast, which can provoke discomfort, cracks, or the baby simply will not take the breast. Therefore, so that the newborn does not starve, in the process of learning to attach, it is more correct to use expressed milk.
• lazy kid
  It is not a rare situation - a lazy baby, who, for many reasons, is either unable to eat the prescribed norm, or cannot get used to a new style of eating at all, leaves his mother with too much in stock. And actively arriving milk leads to overcrowding and a number of complications.
• C-section
  Emergency or planned childbirth, as a result of which the baby is born through a caesarean section, leads to the fact that milk does not arrive immediately, but a couple of days later, and lactation is not so actively gaining momentum (there are, of course, exceptions). You can resort to specialized baby food, but the best option is to work on lactation and a breast pump is a faithful assistant in this.
• required stocks
  And the most important point in which it is difficult to do without a breast pump is the procurement of supplies. Expressing milk for the future, as a rule, is practiced by mothers who are forced to go to work early. Modern devices, such as bags for storing and freezing milk, will help create an excellent product “for later”, since the product can be stored frozen for up to six months. And even if milk pleases you with abundance, you should not neglect the stocks, because during lactation crises everything can change and the baby will be left without his favorite treat.
• dining out
  Naturally, a breast pump will not be superfluous when the family leads an active lifestyle: goes to visit, cinemas, travels for a long time or just likes to spend a lot of time on the street. In such conditions, breastfeeding is not particularly convenient, and sometimes even impossible, so milk expressed in a bottle will be very useful.
• only fresh
  a breast pump will also be a useful acquisition for pumping with excess milk in order to avoid such troubles as lactostasis and mastitis.

We choose for ourselves

The range of the market allows you to choose a device, taking into account the physiological needs of a woman.

Before buying a useful assistant, you should first determine what the market offers today. And on the shelves you can find a wide variety of breast pumps, the price of which will vary widely, depending on the type and configuration.

All devices can be divided into two main types: mechanical and electric breast pumps.

Mechanical breast pumps

This subspecies includes the simplest devices, the work of which is carried out manually, that is, manually, hence the name manual breast pump can often be heard.

By type of work they are:

• pear. The most inconvenient and ineffective, not often found in modern manufacturers. The principle of operation is to "pump air", but this leads to injuries and breast engorgement. Moreover, two hands are involved during pumping.
• piston. As a rule, inexpensive models. The principle of operation is very simple: a manually pulled piston provides suction.
• hinged. The most popular and convenient type of mechanical breast pumps, which is widely used. Under the influence of a special lever, a vacuum is created, which is necessary for gentle pumping. This type is recognized as the most convenient among manual models, as it allows you to equip the device with additional functions and provides gentle pumping, even with one hand.

Most Popular Manual Breast Pumps

Medela Harmony

from 1 999 ₴

OVO GM10

from 725 ₴

Philips Avent SCF430/10

from 1 632 ₴

Philips Avent SCF430/13

from 1 690 ₴

BabyOno Anatomy

from 625 ₴

Lorelli Manual Breast Pump

from 572 ₴

Nuvita 1215

from 849 ₴

Baby Team 0010

from 636 ₴

Chicco 05740.00

from 1 099 ₴

Bebe Confort Breast Pump

from 1 505 ₴

Baboo 2-001

from 825 ₴

Chicco 05740.10

from 1 530 ₴

Beurer BY15

from 1 977 ₴

Canpol Babies 12/205

from 809 ₴

Nuvita 1211

from 623 ₴

ETA Mimi 1306 90000

from 3 599 ₴

Combi Manual Breast Pump

from 2 707 ₴

Esperanza Bebe ECM002B

from 619 ₴

Lorelli First Moment

from 603 ₴

Nuby NV01001

from 875 ₴

Advantages of mechanical breast pumps

Manual breast pumps are portable and easy to use.

The most important advantage is the low cost, the simplest breast pump will not leave a hole in the family budget. Another indisputable advantage is light weight and ease of use, as well as ease of processing and sterilization. Such models can be safely taken with you to the hospital for the first time, taken on a trip or kept on hand when the need for pumping is due only to the child taking a medicine that needs to be dissolved in milk.

Mechanical breast pumps can be equipped with massage brushes, extra nipples and bottles. It is noteworthy that industry leaders provide for the compatibility of all brand bottles with breast pump threads, therefore, if you stocked up on bottles in advance, for example Philips, then it makes sense to take the same brand of breast pump.

Naturally, this type of breast pumps has its drawbacks:

• long pumping time;
• intensity adjustment is carried out manually;
• it is not possible to use it on two breasts at once;
• most models do not have the ability to choose the size of the bell for themselves.

Electric breast pumps

Electric breast pumps are equipped with a number of additional features.

More advanced models, the principle of which is to operate an engine powered by mains or batteries. Naturally, automatic pumping suggests that electronic breast pumps are much more convenient and functional than their manual counterparts.

Such models greatly simplify the pumping process and allow you to quickly and comfortably assemble lunch for your baby, and some even provide for the emptying of two glands at once. Users also note less trauma and higher pumping efficiency.

Most Popular Electric Breast Pumps

BabyOno Pico

from 1 912 ₴

Philips Avent SCF323/11

from 3 099 ₴

Esperanza Gemelos ECM003B

from 1 307 ₴

Lovi 50/070

from 6 190 ₴

Philips Avent SCF396/31

from 7 499 ₴

Canpol Babies 20/100

from 3 669 ₴

Lionelo Fidi Free

from 2 080 ₴

Philips Avent SCF395/31

from 6 369 ₴

Lionelo Fidi Go

from 1 390 ₴

Philips Avent SCF395/11

from 5 999 ₴

BabyOno Shelly

from 2 900 ₴

Esperanza Bebita ECM001B

from 965 ₴

Tommee Tippee 423626

from 5 560 ₴

Microlife BC 300 Maxi 2 in 1

from 3 890 ₴

Canpol Babies 12/201

from 2 199 ₴

Suavinex 307309

from 6 919 ₴

Chicco 09199.50

from 3 599 ₴

Baboo 2-010

from 3 873 ₴

Lovi 50/050

from 5 090 ₴

Suavinex 302467

from 7 429 ₴

Despite the many advantages, there are also disadvantages:

• high cost of the device;
• limited sterilization;
• noisy operation of the device;
• work from batteries or mains, which often deprives the device of portability;

What to look for when buying a breast pump

Most breast pumps are compatible with their brand bottles.

When choosing a breast pump, you should understand that the device will be useful for more than one month, so it makes sense to purchase the model that best meets your needs and facilitates the process of feeding your baby.

Among the offered, you can choose for yourself a device with a variety of functions and technical characteristics:

• biphasic breast pumps. The best option, since pumping is as close as possible to the process of sucking the breast by the baby. The first pulling movements are more frequent, but less intense to accelerate lactation, and after that, on the contrary, uniform, less frequent movements with greater intensity.
• bottle size. The kit already comes with bottles, the displacement of which is usually 150 ml. No less popular are bottles of 120 ml, and you can also find volumes of 180 and even 300 ml. This option is suitable for an already grown toddler or for stockpiling.
• intensity adjustment. More advanced models are equipped with the ability to adjust the intensity of retraction so that you can choose the mode to suit your needs and your sensitivity threshold.
• double breast pump. Simultaneous pumping helps save a lot of time.
• bonuses and chips. More expensive models are equipped with a special screen that helps you control the battery charge, the amount of milk in the bottle, the selected mode, which is actually very convenient. Remote control - the unit on which the control is located.

And as for the general recommendations collected on the basis of users and medical professionals, it is worth paying attention to the following:

• simplicity of assembly mechanisms. The simpler the device, the easier it is to care for and use;
• the ability to carry out high-quality cleaning and sterilization at home;
• funnel shape and size. When choosing a device, be sure to pay attention to the size of the funnel, because if it is larger than the areola of the nipple, then pumping will be unproductive, and if it is smaller, you risk injury;
• the size and shape of the isthmus connecting the funnel and the bottle. The greater its length, the less the need to lean forward, and accordingly, there is no muscle clamp and discomfort that reduces the productivity of pumping;
• materials. It should be noted that all materials from which the breast pump is made are non-toxic and hypoallergenic. For example silicone and specialized plastic.
• accessories. It is very good when the manufacturer completes the device with additional parts and consumables. Market giants such as Medela and Philips Avent, as a rule, have rich equipment.

If you have had surgery or various breast injuries, or simply cannot figure out how to choose a breast pump, it makes sense to contact a breastfeeding specialist who will help you choose a model that suits all your needs.